The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1887-05-12
THE &c ". & l.. X. II.

G. n. g. L. R. R., has finished the
preliminary survey of this road and
submitted his report from which we
make a few extracts. He says the
road has been located for distance
of nineteen miles from Columbia
through Lexington to a point near
Chapin's mill.
The road from that point to Pros
perity is being located. This point
of the road will be fed from the three
townships which comprise what is
known as the Fork of Lexington, ard
from Congaree and Hollow Creek
Townships in Lexington County, and
Nos. 9 and 10 Townships in New
berry County. These townships
have about twenty thousand inhabi-
tants, with more than $4,000 acres of
land in cultivation, upon Which large
quantities of commercial fertilizers
are needed. They produce from
$4,000 to 10000 bales of cotton, and
wheat, oats and corn in proportion.
The report speaks Of the fine tim
Der along the line from which no tur-
pentine has been cut. Of the inhab'
itants it says:
The inhabitants of this section are
generally of Dutch descent and are
industrious and frugal, and it is rare
to see really poor man among them
There sre but few negroes-the farms
being generally small. The owner
and his family do. their Own JTEs. Tas
These farms rsady bring from IS to
$50 peErofe. Three times the pres
shnG plumber of inhabitants could
readily be supported here, and there
IS no section of the State more
healthy. Thirty.four
miles from Columbia we reach the
town of Prosperity, which has seven
hundred Inhabitants.
Leaving Prosperity the lire runs
through q very fertile section to
c. H., which has a popu-
lation of three thousand. Cotton re.
ceipts at this point are from fifteen
to twenty thousand bales. Yearly
sales of merchandise about one mil |!
lion dollars. There is cotton mill
here running ten thousand spindles
and three hundred and twenty looms.
From Newberry the road will run
through Nos. 2 and 8 townships into
Union County and thence to Glenn
Springs.
Engineer Ellis says that the COT
ton alone, tributary to his road be-
tween Newberry and Spartanburg,
will be some 10000 bales. The re-
port further says:
I feel safe in stating that the coun-
try tributary to our line will support
the road and pay q dividend on first
cost from the beginning. and each |
year would develop large increase.
The section through which our line
runs produces some forty thousand
bales of cotton alone, and uses from
eight to ten thousand tons Of COM
merciai fertilizers.
Our local travel would be as good
as any in the State, and from the
fact of our line running through a
high ridge country most Of the way, |
with attractive surroundings, it is not
unreasonable to count on full share
of the travel to and from the noun
tains.
Running as the line does mostly
on the ridges between the main water
courses, the road bed will be dry
one and easily maintained. The soil
is generally sand or gravel.
The estimated cost of the road,
ready for business, at the present
price for such work, is 1000 per
mile, and Mr.. Ellis thinks it possible
that it will be much less.
Along the line Of the road great J
interest has been manifested by the
people. AS an Indication of this the
townships interested have subscribed
in bonds to the amount of Sl45,OO0,
besides some $4,000 subscribed by
individuals. With the subscription Of
Columbia Township 100000 there
would Je a grand total Of $4,000.
Newberry will be asked to vote
subscription Of $4,000 or $4,000 in
order to secure the road to this place.
Petitions will be circulated in few
days to secure the signatures of the
requisite number Of property holders
thof tbo (nunfy commissioners NAV